Hey, Your Ancestor's Here!

"Who cares! I'm not about to be used as a stepping-stone!"

"Charge!"

After their initial terror, the only Agility-type Soul Elder among the three forcibly suppressed his instinctive fear and stepped forward first.

With a hoarse, desperate roar, he reignited his third Soul Ring and turned into a blur of black as he charged at Ning Huan once more.

"Third Soul Skill—Shadow Thrust!"

Seeing this, the other two Power Attack System Soul Elders responded almost in unison and followed close behind.

As they charged, they poured all their Soul Power into their third Soul Rings, unleashing power far beyond what they had ever managed before.

"Third Soul Skill—Tiger Rending Claw!"

"Third Soul Skill—Wind Stab!"

In an instant, three figures—black, red, and green—flashed with razor-sharp force, drawing a chorus of cheers from the stands.

The remaining contestants, whose cultivation was somewhat lower, were just as unwilling to stop here.

They set off one after another, charging forward with gritted teeth.

All at once, Soul Skills of every kind erupted, their dazzling colors filling most of the arena in an instant.

Their combined momentum surged together, and for a moment, they seemed evenly matched.

Yet, with attacks raining down from all sides and more than a dozen control Soul Skills about to bind him,

Ning Huan, the one at the center of it all, showed not the slightest panic. He even had time to comment on each opponent.

"Shadow Leopard, Blood Tiger, Gale Sword—they're all among the finest high-level Martial Souls."

"And that annoying Plant-type Martial Soul, too. It always reminds me of a certain 'old acquaintance' who wasn't exactly friendly."

As he spoke, Ning Huan smiled with ease. His sword-pointing fingers shifted into a fist, and the aura around him quickly drew inward.

From his movements, the four people on the elevated platform could tell at a glance that he meant to give the others a chance to show what they could do.

"Whoa, this kid's got guts!"

Wind Douluo couldn't help exclaiming softly.

"Back when Old Shield was a Soul Ancestor, I don't think he'd have dared to take the third Soul Skills of three Soul Elders head-on."

Shield Defense Douluo: "..."

Have you got no manners?

Say what you want, but why drag me into it?

Still, he didn't argue.

He merely snorted and turned his head away.

After all, putting himself in their shoes, he knew that with the strength of those youngsters' attacks, even he wouldn't dare take them head-on.

To be precise, there wasn't a single Soul Master on the continent who would dare face thirty-one Soul Elders and Soul Grandmasters alone while at the Soul Ancestor level.

Just as Shield Defender was pondering how Ning Huan would respond,

what happened next startled him so badly that he sprang to his feet, his eyes fixed on the black phantom below.

At the same time, Ning Huan gazed at the chaotic barrage of attacks before him, which had sealed off every avenue of retreat. His lips parted, his voice steady.

"Awaken the Netherworld; let tortoise and serpent rise as one!"

"Black Tortoise, Prison Suppressor!"

Boom!

In an instant, the phantom of a great tortoise, five meters tall and more than ten meters long, reared its head and roared at the sky. A massive serpent's head at the end of its tail thrashed wildly, exuding an indescribable pressure.

A thunderous crash like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting apart erupted, followed by a billowing wave of dust and air. In a heartbeat, it swept aside the blockade the contestants had fought so desperately to maintain.

Only the fastest few, who had moved first, managed to unleash one last attack. It struck the tortoise shell with a rumbling boom.

Everyone else had their Soul Skills broken and suffered the awkward backlash of their own powers.

"A divine beast, the Black Tortoise? Ten thousand years old? What a waste!"

"No..."

Glancing at Wind Douluo, whose face was contorted with distress, Shield Defense Douluo shook his head, his expression complicated.

"That should be a Mysterious Underworld Turtle with a trace of Black Tortoise Bloodline, awakened by Ning Huan using his Martial Soul."

"Of course, a ten-thousand-year-old Mysterious Underworld Turtle is already formidable in defense. Add to that its forcibly awakened bloodline..."

"Even if he can maintain it for only a moment, he could stand undefeated even against a Soul Emperor."

"..."

Wind Douluo fell silent. His gaze shifted back and forth between the arena and the sect master.

In the end, all his attempts to persuade him became a sigh. He voluntarily retreated to Sword Douluo's side.

There was no choice. Things had come to this, and he couldn't let his own concerns interfere too much with the sect master's decision.

Ning Hao, meanwhile, seemed not to have noticed their little exchange. He remained silent,

sitting quietly in the main seat, his thoughts impossible to read.

Ten thousand years... Could Spirit Bodies have the potential to grow?

Interesting!

Let's keep watching. If all you have going for you is abundant Soul Power, rapid recovery, and the ability to contract and summon Soul Beast Spirit Bodies, then you're a step short of a true genius.

Thinking this, Ning Hao couldn't help shaking his head with a wry smile, chiding himself for being too greedy.

The person he wanted was already within easy reach, yet he still wanted him to have even greater talent.

For a sect master, that was hardly proper.

Unfortunately, before he could dispel the greed he never should have felt,

Ning Huan's actions struck him like a blow to the head, leaving him unsure whether to feel joy or worry.

A few breaths later, the Soul Saint referee finally recovered from his shock.

Then, under the expectant gazes of the spectators, he hurriedly channeled his Soul Power to clear the smoke hanging in the air and reveal what had happened.

"Hiss..."

As the view gradually cleared, they saw that only one person remained standing in the vast arena.

Everyone else was down on one knee.

Some of those with weaker cultivation or frailer constitutions had even lost consciousness.

The outcome was clear: the geniuses from Nine Treasures Headquarters had been defeated.

"Ning Huan... I refuse to accept this!"

Just then, a voice filled with bitter resentment abruptly rang out, breaking the arena's deathly silence.

"Why... Just six years ago, you were a foolish orphan who couldn't even speak properly..."

"How did you get so damn lucky?"

Looking toward the voice, they saw that it belonged to the Agility-type Soul Elder who had led the charge. His eyes brimmed with indignation and resentment.

From his unguarded words, it was clear that he seemed to know Ning Huan rather well.

But there was one problem.

Ning Huan had no idea who he was.

"Uh... who are you?"

At the sight of Ning Huan's utterly innocent expression, the Soul Elder's vision went black. He felt as if everything he prided himself on had been trampled beneath his feet.

He was, after all, a talented Soul Elder whom the sect had invested heavily in.

His talent might have fallen a little short of Ning Huan's, but surely that didn't mean he wasn't even worth remembering by name!

Hmph! Some country bumpkin!

"I am of the sect..."

"Forget it. We'll have plenty of time for that later. It's my turn to make a move."

Agility-type Soul Elder: ...

Damn!

That was beyond insulting!

But before he could even curse him, all the resentment in his heart turned to terror the next instant.

"Let the sword sweep through this life, bury all evil, and break through the nine heavens!"

"I beseech the Sword of Nine Treasures, His Eminence Chen Xin, to reveal the might of Seven Kill once more and cleanse all that is foul!"

"Ning Huan, disciple of Nine Treasures, pays his respects!"

The moment the words fell, Seven Kill Sword Intent surged skyward behind Ning Huan. In an instant, the clouds scattered and all things bowed their heads.

Crack!

On the elevated platform, Ning Hao's hand tightened reflexively, shattering the redwood armrest on the spot. He rose uncontrollably, his pupils trembling wildly.

In that moment, the eyes that usually brimmed with calculation held nothing but utter shock and disbelief.

And the response that followed from the void left him equally at a loss.

"As a descendant of Nine Treasures, you have my aid."

The voice was aged yet vigorous, and its words carried the unmistakable edge of a swordsman.

All eyes fixed on that proud figure, who strode through the air with the Seven Kill Sword in hand. The entire arena fell silent.

Only Sword Douluo could be heard murmuring words too faint to make out.

"Ancestor..."